Syntactic categories in the speech of young children: the case of the determiner

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian M. Pine ◽  
Helen Martindale
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Phrase Structure ◽  
Syntactic Category ◽  
Positive Evidence ◽  
Children's Speech ◽  
Limited Scope ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACTThere has been a growing trend in recent years towards the attribution of adult-like syntactic categories to young language-learning children. This is based, at least in part, on studies which claim to have found positive evidence for syntactic phrase structure categories in young children's speech. However, these claims contradict the findings of previous research which suggest that the categories underlying children's early multi-word speech are much more limited in scope. The present study represents an attempt to reconcile the findings of these different lines of research by focusing specifically on Valian's (1986) criteria for attributing the syntactic category of determiner to young children. The aim is, firstly, to replicate Valian's results regarding her determiner criteria on a new sample of seven children between the ages of 1;20 and 2;6; secondly, to investigate the extent to which children show overlap in the contexts in which they use different determiner types; and, thirdly, to compare this with a controlled measure of the overlap shown by competent adult speakers. The results suggest that Valian's criteria for attributing a syntactic determiner category are too generous and could be passed by children with a relatively small amount of limited scope knowledge. They also provide at least some evidence that a limited scope formula account of children's early determiner use may fit the data better than an adult-like syntactic account.

Slot and frame patterns and the development of the determiner category

1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian M. Pine ◽  
Elena V. M. Lieven
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Real Case ◽  
Syntactic Category ◽  
Positive Evidence ◽  
Grammatical Development ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
Semantically Heterogeneous ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Limited Scope

ABSTRACTThere has been a growing trend in recent years toward the attribution of adultlike syntactic categories to young, language-learning children. This has derived support from studies which claim to have found positive evidence for syntactic categories in the speech of young children (e.g., Valian, 1986). However, these claims contradict the findings of previous research which have suggested that the categories underlying children's early multiword speech are much more limited in scope (e.g., Braine, 1976). The present study represents an attempt to differentiate and test these models of early multiword speech: focusing on the syntactic category of determiner, we investigated the extent to which 11 children showed overlap in the contexts in which they used different determiner types in their early multiword corpora. The results demonstrated that, although children do use determiners with a semantically heterogeneous collection of different noun types, there is very little evidence that they know anything about the relationship between the different determiner types, and thus there is no real case for the attribution of a syntactic determiner category. Indeed, this pattern of determiner use seems perfectly consistent with a limited-scope formula account of children's early multiword speech, as proposed by Braine (1976). These findings suggest that the development of an adultlike determiner category may be a gradual process, one involving the progressive broadening of the range of lexically specific frames in which different determiners appear, and are broadly consistent with a number of recent constructivist models of children's early grammatical development.

scholarly journals Two are better than one: Infant language learning from video improves in the presence of peers

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (40) ◽  
pp. 9859-9866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Roseberry Lytle ◽  
Adrian Garcia-Sierra ◽  
Patricia K. Kuhl
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Touch Screen ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Phonetic Learning ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Infant Language ◽  
Infant Learning ◽  
Better Than

Studies show that young children learn new phonemes and words from humans significantly better than from machines. However, it is not clear why learning from video is ineffective or what might be done to improve learning from a screen. The present study, conducted with 9-month-old infants, utilized a manipulation—touch screen video—which allowed infants to control presentations of foreign-language video clips. We tested the hypothesis that infant learning from a screen would be enhanced in the presence of a peer, as opposed to learning alone. Brain measures of phonetic learning and detailed analyses of interaction during learning confirm the hypothesis that social partners enhance learning, even from screens.

scholarly journals Children and Adults in Second-Language Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Hadna Suryantari
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Classroom Situation ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Natural Situation ◽  
Better Than

Learning is a process in which people study to acquire or obtain knowledge or skill. Second language learning is a process of internalizing and making sense of a second language after one has an established first language. Learning a second language is different from learning first language. Second language is learnt after one is able to speak and has absorbed knowledge, which influences him  in learning a second language. Most of us believe that children are better than adults in learning second language. This statement is supported by common observation stated that young second-language learners seems to be able to learn another language quickly by exposure without teaching. In this article, the writer tries to present how children and adults in second-language learning based on factors involved in it. Steinberg (2001) states that there are three factors involved in second-language learning. The first is psychological category. It includes intellectual processing which consists of explication and induction process, memory, and motor skills. Then, social situation consists of natural situation and classroom situation. The last is other psychological variables. It consists of ESL or EFL community context, motivation, and attitude. It is complex to determine whether children or adults are better in second-language learning. The common belief that children are better than adults has been proved, although with some qualification regarding the classroom situation. Put another way, adults do not do best in any situation. In the natural situation of language learning, it is determined that young children will do better than adults, and so will older children. It is not even uncommon for young children to learn a second language in a year or less. Therefore, children do better than adults. In the classroom situation, older children will do better than adults. However, young adults will do better than young children to the extent that the young children’s classroom is not a simulation of the natural situation. In the simulation case, young children will do better.

DESAIN PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INDONESIA BERBASIS PEMAHAMAN NILAI SIKAP GOTONG ROYONG

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-10
Author(s):  
Alpansyah Alpansyah ◽  
Abdul Talib Hasim
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Reader Response ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Bahasa Indonesia ◽  
Better Than

The aims of this study were: (1) to identify an increase in students' understanding of the value of mutual cooperation through the use of reader response rules in Indonesian Language Learning (KRPDPBI); (2) identifying the use of the reader response principle in Indonesian Language learning (KRPDPBI) there are differences between male and female students. The design of this study used a quasi-experimental study with two different methods. The results showed that (1) the achievement of the score of understanding the value of mutual cooperation for students taught by KRPDPBI was better than for students taught by regular learning according to the curriculum; (2) the achievement of the understanding of the value of male students' mutual cooperation is no better than that of female students.

scholarly journals In search of resilient and fragile properties of language

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN GOLDIN-MEADOW
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Artificial Language ◽  
Fundamental Properties ◽  
Linguistic Input ◽  
Language Input

ABSTRACTYoung children are skilled language learners. They apply their skills to the language input they receive from their parents and, in this way, derive patterns that are statistically related to their input. But being an excellent statistical learner does not explain why children who are not exposed to usable linguistic input nevertheless communicate using systems containing the fundamental properties of language. Nor does it explain why learners sometimes alter the linguistic input to which they are exposed (input from either a natural or an artificial language). These observations suggest that children are prepared to learn language. Our task now, as it was in 1974, is to figure out what they are prepared with – to identify properties of language that are relatively easy to learn, the resilient properties, as well as properties of language that are more difficult to learn, the fragile properties. The new tools and paradigms for describing and explaining language learning that have been introduced into the field since 1974 offer great promise for accomplishing this task.

Literary Text and Language Learning Behaviour of ESL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 382-389
Author(s):  
Shaukat Ali ◽  
Saddam Hussain ◽  
Iftikhar Ali
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Language Text ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Speaking Skills

This study exploits John Milton's poems "On His Blindness, and "Methought I Saw My Late Espoused Saint" for teaching speaking skills to ESL learners. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design consisting of a treatment group (TG) and a comparison group (CG). CG was taught through conventional language text whereas TG was treated with the aforementioned poems. The main focus of the study was to observe the language learning behavior of the students of both TG and CG during language learning activities. The study therefore employed observation field notes beside the speaking type pretest and posttest as tools of data collection. The thematic analysis of the observation field notes indicated that the students of TG were confident, motivated, involved in, and excited about the language learning activities. On the contrary, the students of the CG were found to be hesitant, passive, and demotivated during the language learning venture. Consequently, the students of TG performed significantly better than that of CG on the posttest. The study recommends that poetry should be utilized for teaching the English language in general and speaking skills in particular.

Accelerating language learning in young children

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Froma P. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Successful Outcome ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Manipulation Task ◽  
Linguistic Structures

ABSTRACTTo examine the effects of direct intervention on language learning, 18 children ranging in age from 3;6 to 4;6 were systematically taught linguistic structures still beyond their developmental grasp. Four types of relative clause sentences were trained, using a toy manipulation task. Solid improvement was found in the performance of subjects in the two experimental conditions between the Pre- and Post-test Phases. No significant improvement was demonstrated by the control condition subjects. This successful outcome is viewed as demonstrating that the language learning process is somewhat independent of cognitive development. In addition, error response analyses indicated that the First Noun strategy accounted for the majority of errors, providing support for the canonical–sentoid hypothesis.

Combined oral midazolam-ketamine better than midazolam alone for sedation of young children: a randomized controlled trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
THIAGO ANDERSON MOREIRA ◽  
PAULO SUCASAS COSTA ◽  
LUCIANE REZENDE COSTA ◽  
CRISTIANA MARINHO JESUS-FRANÇA ◽  
DENISE ESPÍNDOLA ANTUNES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Oral Midazolam ◽  
Better Than

scholarly journals A Study of the Difficulties in Learning of English Faced by Hindi and Urdu Speaking Students in India and Indian Expatriates in Saudi Arabia

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Qudsia Iqbal Hashmi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Statistical Inferences ◽  
Better Than

Main aim of the study was to explore and analyze the learning difficulties faced by Hindi and Urdu speaking-students in India and Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia. It is generally felt that learning of English varies in different context. Learners having background of Urdu, Hindi differ on account of learning achievements. Similarly those who enjoy more English learning environment may perform better than their counterparts. In order to carry out the study, three types of subjects were purpose. The study, though was descriptive-qualitative in nature, quantification was used to arrive at statistical inferences. The results indicated that most of the learner’s problems arose due to L1 interference on second language learning process.

CustNER

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-127
Author(s):  
Raabia Mumtaz ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Qadir
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Named Entity Recognition ◽  
Entity Recognition ◽  
False Negatives ◽  
Rule Based System ◽  
Named Entity ◽  
Evaluation Dataset ◽  
Natural Language Learning ◽  
Person Location ◽  
Better Than

This article describes CustNER: a system for named-entity recognition (NER) of person, location, and organization. Realizing the incorrect annotations of existing NER, four categories of false negatives have been identified. The NEs not annotated contain nationalities, have corresponding resource in DBpedia, are acronyms of other NEs. A rule-based system, CustNER, has been proposed that utilizes existing NERs and DBpedia knowledge base. CustNER has been trained on the open knowledge extraction (OKE) challenge 2017 dataset and evaluated on OKE and CoNLL03 (Conference on Natural Language Learning) datasets. The OKE dataset has also been annotated with the three types. Evaluation results show that CustNER outperforms existing NERs with F score 12.4% better than Stanford NER and 3.1% better than Illinois NER. On another standard evaluation dataset for which the system is not trained, the CoNLL03 dataset, CustNER gives results comparable to existing systems with F score 3.9% better than Stanford NER, though Illinois NER F score is 1.3% better than CustNER.

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